Naruto: The Mystic Fox
by TheCrimsonMagi
Summary: During one of Konoha's festivals celebrating the death of the Kyuubi at the hands of the Fourth, a young Naruto is being 'Hunted' when he finds a secret cave with a very unique resident inside it. After making a new friend and getting some much needed help on his way to be Hokage, how will things change and what amazing skills will he learn along the way? NarutoXHinaXHarem OCXHarem
1. Just a statue?

**A/N: **This is a new story I wanted to try and see what sort of response I got for it. Yes, I know my writing style may not appeal to all of you but I hope that I at least get some positive reviews on this story. With that said, please enjoy and review and tell me if you liked it or not and if you think I should change something. Thanks!

Speaking  
**Bijuu/Demonic** **speaking**  
_Thoughts  
_Jutsu/Mystic Arts

A night like most in the Leaf Village, the moon was shining above as it watched the village of Konoha unblinkingly. A shadow could be seen running as fast as its small legs could carry it through the streets. Shouts of anger and hate followed it from shinobi and civilian alike "Get the Demon! Kill it and we'll be heroes!" A random Jounin shouted from the mob as they chased after the shadow.

_'Damn. They never stop! Every year it's the same thing… Why do they always hurt me and treat me like some monster?'_ The shadow passed under a streetlight and a shock of blonde hair above a pair of brilliant cerulean eyes could be seen as the shadow was revealed to be a small boy.

He turned a corner only to find a dead end and cursed under his breath. Looking all over he tried to hide in a corner of the alley and huddled into the shadows.

The shouts drew near as the mob appeared at the end of the alley and one of the people started knocking over all the trash cans and smashing boxes trying to find the boy "Where did that vile brat get to?! Spread out and search everywhere!"

The boy leaned as far back against the wall as he could and without realizing it, fell right through into a dark cavern behind him.

After shaking the dust and pebbles from his hair and patting his pants to get rid of the dirt he looked around and saw a little light in the distance. It flickered and danced as he watched and he decided that anything is better than facing that mob out there.

As he walked slowly down the empty path he jumped when two dark holes in the walls above him blazed into light with a small burst of dull green flame. He shook himself and chuckled nervously as he continued on deeper into the cave.

"Where am I? This place is so big. How did they hide it from everyone without them knowing? I mean, someone must have been here before. This place is really clean for a hole in the ground…" He said out loud and an echo came back making him grin "Echo!" And again 'Echo! Echo…! Echo…..!'

As he walked he begins to feel kind of funny. Not in a bad way; just more safe than anything. When he got to the end of the tunnel he turned to see a large room with many of those funny fires lining the walls and it gave the place an eerie glow. He walked toward the middle of the room and saw what looked to be a statue of a man sitting with one leg over the other in front of him. The hands were forming a handsign but it's not one he knows. It's eyes were closed and it had shoulder length hair that fell over its left eye. It's clothes were weird to the boy as he walked up and studied it.

Suddenly a mirthful chuckle echoed around the room and made the boy fall backwards on his ass "Ouch… What was that? Who's there?" He called out nervously into the gloom and looked all over the room only for his eyes to turn and spot the only other thing in the room; the statue.

He got up slowly and walked cautiously towards it. The boy reached out a hand and poked at the cheeks, chest, and even the nose of the thing and only to find out that all of them feel real and alive. He steps back in shock as the right eye opened slowly and stared at him before the statue cracked a wide joyful grin "Hello there my young friend. Can I help you with something?"

He tries to run but his legs wouldn't move and his heart was beating like a drum _'What is this thing? I thought it was just some random statue?!'_ He thought frantically and as if reading his mind the man chuckles and nods "Yes, I was a statue…until now that is. When you entered this room you broke my seal and woke me up. I bet you are wondering who I am huh?"

All the boy could do was nod and gulp as his mouth became very dry at the thought of this man being alive and wondered how long he had been down here.

The man moved around and stood slowly before falling on his own ass. He laughed at himself and got up again. He stretched out his stiff muscles and cracked his knuckles and neck before nodding and smiled warmly at the boy "What is your name little one?"

The boy got a bit mad and shouted "Hey, I am not little you jerk! And my name is Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki." The man grinned again as he studied the boy and then leaned down to meet Naruto's eyes, holding out his hand for Naruto to shake "I am pleased to meet you Naruto-kun. You can call me Moncris."

Naruto reached out slowly and shook hands with him before removing himself from the wall "Why are you down here and where is this place anyways? I was in the alley and then the next thing I knew I was inside the tunnel back there…"

Moncris nodded as he looked around and then made a few handsigns and a low table appeared between them. He sat down and motioned for Naruto to take the seat on the other side, which the blonde did after a few seconds "So, what is it like up there now? Last I checked there was a huge battle going on between a powerful fox demon and a blonde man. Do you know how it ended?"

Naruto, being a huge fan of the Fourth Hokage knew exactly what battle the man was talking about "Yeah! The Fourth kicked the Kyuubi's ass and killed it. He's a hero now but he died fighting it. I want to be Hokage too. It's my dream to be the best Hokage ever so that everyone will finally accept me."

The man smiled sadly and shook his head "Naruto-kun, I have to be honest, that doesn't seem like a good reason. Do you know what it means to be Hokage? It is not easy and you would have to do a lot of hard things if you became Hokage…"

The blonde tilted his head to the side a bit as he listened to the man "Why would it be hard? The Hokage protects the village right?"

Moncris nodded but then held up a finger as he explained "Yes, but that is only one small part. A good Hokage not only protects the village but he fights for those who can't do it themselves and helps everyone under his care when he can. But even though he is a good person he must also be strong enough to make choices that could hurt others if it means that even more people can be saved because of it. If the Fourth had chosen something else to do and it turned out to be the wrong choice a lot of people in the village could have died thanks to him."

Naruto scrunched up his face as he thought it over and then lifted his head, his eyes burning with a determination and resolve greater than his years "Then I will do that! I will do whatever I can to help everyone and make them feel safe. I will protect the Leaf with everything I have! Believe it!"

Moncris nodded with a wide grin and said "And if you need my help along the way then just use this." He made a silver necklace with a leaf symbol on it appear on the table before Naruto. The boy picked it up and looked at it in awe "What does it do? And how does it let you help me?"

"That necklace is covered in hidden seals that have all kinds of powers but the most important one is that if you hold it tightly in your hand and even think my name then I can teleport to you and help you out when you need me. Another important power is that should you be attacked you can hold it and shout 'Reflect' which will make you glow and anything that tries to hit you will hit the thing or person that attacked you for a bit but it must be re-filled with chakra after a certain amount of uses so be careful okay?"

The blonde was speechless as he felt a few tears leaking out of his eyes. He screwed them shut as he shook gently. No one had ever been nice to him except the old man and the Ichiraku's. Yet this random guy had given him such a cool gift and offered to help him even more should he need it.

The man almost fell over when the blonde jumped over the table and hugged him tightly around the stomach. He smiled kindly and held him as the boy cried into his cloak. After a few minutes he felt Naruto stop shaking and then he lifted his head to smile at Moncris; a true smile that made the man grin back.

"Okay. Now to get you home. Come visit me when you get the chance alright? I could definitely use a friend after being stuck here alone for so long." Moncris said as he chuckled and stood up with Naruto. Naruto snickered as he nodded and wondered how his new friend would get him home.

The brown-haired man flashed through a few hand signs and looked down at the boy "Ready? Hang on tight, this can be a wild ride for first timers." And with that, they both vanished into thin air.

Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi was on the verge of having a heart attack. He had sent out his ANBU to stop the mob hours ago but his men had been unable to find Naruto so far. He hoped the boy was alright and just in hiding. Sometimes, that boy was more of a shinobi then any Jounin or Chunin under his command. As he sat back in his chair and took a long puff on his pipe said boy popped up right in front of his desk with a shout of "Hey Hokage-jiji!" The aged Hokage nearly fell out of his seat at that as he rushed over to check on the young man. He stopped dead when he noticed the cloaked man next to Naruto.

As the Professor studied the man he noticed a crest on his cloak holding it closed and his eyes widened as he realized who he was. But he was thought to be dead… The man carefully got his attention and put a finger to his lips with a small smile and a wink.

Sarutobi relaxed a bit as he dropped down in front of Naruto and hugged him warmly "I am glad you are safe Naruto-kun. When the ANBU couldn't find you I hoped you had just gone into hiding again."

The young blonde cracked a wide grin as he pointed behind him and exclaimed "Yeah I was hiding but then I fell into a cave and found this really weird statue in a room down there. At first it was just a dumb rock but then it laughed and turned out to be Moncris-san. He told me he would help me out with becoming Hokage one day and that he wanted to be my friend. He also gave me this." He lifted the pendant to show off to his Grandfather figure who smiled kindly and ruffled the boy's hair as he looked at Moncris.

"So, you are Moncris-san is that right? And how do you plan to help him? I take it you get something out of it too since not many would help Naruto-kun without a reason." The Third said carefully, trying to sound like he had only just met the man in front of Naruto. The boy just yawned before he went over and laid down on one of the big couches. After he got comfortable he curled up holding his leaf pendant in his small hand and was quickly asleep.

Moncris got a serious look on his face and let loose a small amount of his KI which made even the famed 'God of Shinobi' sweat a bit "I remember you, Hiruzen-san. I will only say this once…you should and could have done more to help him over the years."

Sarutobi sighed and his face seemed to age dramatically as he looked sadly at the snoring youth on the couch next to him before he signaled the ANBU to leave the room. They wanted to protest but after he gave them a hard glance they did as he asked. He activated the protection seals and looked deep into his old friends burning hazel hues "I know but I have done all I can for now. He wants to be a ninja so I was going to enroll him in the academy when he turns six. Plus, with you helping him perhaps he has a better chance. Are you going to be living with him to keep watch over him?"

The cloaked man turned his head to look out the window and regarded the village scornfully before he nodded "I might have to. If the council starts to act up then send an ANBU to come get me. I won't let you face those vultures without some back-up. For now, I am going to take the kid to his apartment and let him sleep. Tomorrow we will figure things out completely."

Moncris picked up the snoozing blonde and vanished just as silently as they had appeared. The Third sat back behind his desk and turned his chair to regard the village outside his window with a slight smirk.

He chuckled as he thought of the havoc Moncris would cause should they get him mad enough '_After five years of anger and abuse, I wonder if the villagers will be smart enough to leave him alone when they see his new friend. If not then I hope they learn quickly. Never mess with a Magi._'


	2. Ancient clan, Mischievous man

**A/N: **Wow, only a little less than a week has gone by and already this story has gotten over 400 views! And let's not forget those wonderful readers who followed it and those who added my new story to their favorites. Thanks to all of you but one person stands out. He is Dragonstorm545 and he was kind enough to review my story and so in honor of him I am going to post two chapters on this update. One of which will answer his question; so I hope you are checking in on my story and continue to enjoy reading it. Thanks again everyone!

Speaking  
**Bijuu/Demonic** **speaking**  
_Thoughts  
_Jutsu/Magi Arts

Naruto slowly woke up to see his familiar ceiling above him and turned his head to look around, seeing only his room he frowned '_Was it all just a dream? I guess so… Damn, and I really wanted to show off the pendant Moncris-san gave me too._'

He got up and went into his bathroom, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and never noticing the large necklace he still wore as he got undressed groggily and took a shower. After cleaning himself off he went to his sink and began brushing his teeth only to see a glint of shiny metal around his neck in the mirror. Glancing at it made him go rigid for a moment as he finally saw the large leaf resting on his chest, the light making it shine at him.

He lifted his nose into the air and smelled something amazing, his favorite food ever, ramen.

Not really believing it to be true he walked numbly out and stood in the doorway looking into the small kitchen of his run down apartment. There standing at the stove was Moncris stirring a large pot of ramen as he hummed a little tune to pass the time.

Sensing the young boy he turned and smiled warmly at Naruto "Good morning Naruto-kun. Would you like beef or chicken today?" He pointed to the pot with the still dripping end of the chopsticks in his hand.

His smile turned into a mischievous grin as he glanced at the boy and said teasingly "Oh, and I think you forgot something…" He chuckled when the blonde looked at himself and with a small gasp ran back into his room to finish getting ready.

Naruto came back out after a few minutes wearing a pair of slightly torn up tan shorts and a white shirt with a burnt orange spiral in the center. He had moved the pendant so it showed on his chest as he walked over to the table and sat down.

Moncris filled the two biggest bowls he could find with the ramen he had made and set one down in front of the blonde boy. They both spoke a hurried 'Itadakimatsu!' and dug into their ramen with vigor.

Naruto was surprised to find that his new friend ate almost like he did but was a little more calm about it. They both finished and Moncris cleaned the bowls before turning to Naruto "So, how about showing me around Konoha today before we visit old man Hokage?"

The boy grinned as he jumped up and ran out the door with Moncris close behind, using a Magi Art to lock the door behind him.

They slowed down on one road as Naruto began pointing things out to the cloaked man who in turn would nod and ask a few easy questions to test how much he knew about it. When the blonde asked why he kept asking questions, Moncris replied that it was to see if he knew enough about his village for when he would become Hokage.

On their way through the market district, one of the more hateful civilians tried to throw a rock at the 'Demon Child' only for it to be caught half-way by Moncris whose KI blasted off of him in waves. He stared into the fool's wide eyes as he crushed the rock in his hand and then aimed that same hand at the man who had fallen to his knees.

"Magiatsu: Moeru Baransu…" His voice was filled with anger as his entire arm was engulfed in the same green flames that had lined his cavern. Right before he was going to unleash it on the man a team of ANBU dropped onto the road behind him and the leader spoke up after finding his voice "Moncris-san, the Hokage has called for you in the council chambers; you and Uzumaki-san here."

Moncris turned his head to glare deeply at the man making him take a step back before the Magi lifted his arm and shot the attack into the sky above the market. It burst into a blazing green yin-yang that vanished almost as soon as it appeared.

He sighed as he reigned in his KI and stared hard at the group of shinobi before nodding and saying in a more relaxed but firm tone "Fine. Tell Hiruzen-san we will be there soon." One of the ANBU took a step forward at the man's disrespect only for his captain to stop him with a whispered "Are you crazy?! Do not provoke him unless you want to be on the wrong end of one of his jutsu."

The ANBU grit his teeth and stepped back in the middle of the group. They all vanished using Shunshin, leaving the man to turn and head toward the Hokage Tower. After a few moments of shocked awe at how strong his friend was, Naruto came back to reality and chased after the man.

When they got to the council chambers, they were allowed in almost immediately. As they entered Sarutobi smirked a little at how close Naruto stayed to his new protector. After they both sat down he began by saying "Thank you for joining us today Moncris-san. Do you know why you were asked to come here?"

"No, Hokage-dono, I don't but I can make educated guesses. You all are wondering who or what I am and why I dare to stick around the supposed 'Demon Child'. Am I right?" He said evenly but his hazel eyes bored into the civilian side of the council as well as the advisers.

One councilman shot to his feet in outrage "Supposed?! That beast next to you is a true demon in human skin!"

Anything else he would have said was cut off by his head being exploded from the fist of Moncris smashing through it. The man shook the gore off his arm and then wiped off the blood calmly while the rest of the council was in an uproar at his act.

Danzo shouted angrily at Sarutobi "Hiruzen, he must be punished! He just killed a councilman in cold blood!" Moncris turned his gaze on the old war hawk and just chuckled at him "He broke one of Hokage-dono's laws. If I am remembering correctly, the law states that no one is to mention anything about young Naruto being a demon unless they want an early grave."

The Third nodded calmly and flared his KI to get them all to shut up "Moncris-san is right. That man gave up his life the moment he uttered a word about Naruto-kun being a demon. If anything, Moncris deserves payment for taking care of the fool for us."

You could hear a senbon drop as the silence grew after that statement. Tsume Inuzuka raised her hand and said with a cheeky grin "Whatever those fools say doesn't matter right now. We are here to find out more about Moncris-san aren't we? Well, let's get to it already!"

Sarutobi nodded and leaned forward a bit as he let the council have the floor. Homura stood and asked in a veiled tone "Moncris-san, what are your intentions here? What do you have in mind?"

The man nodded and got comfortable in his chair by moving his legs into the same sitting position Naruto found him in at the cave "Well, nothing much really. I have recently decided to protect this young man and help him become Hokage in the future. That's all really." His tone was even and his face was as stoic as Hiashi Hyuuga's.

Shibi Aburame stood next "You don't seem the type to lie but how can we be sure that you speak truly? For all we know you could be an enemy spy who is here to steal our village's secrets." He didn't show it but his insects were afraid of this seemingly normal man and for an Aburame of any caliber that meant the person was either powerful or dangerous.

Moncris stood and held out his hand. In a poof of white smoke, a large scroll sat in his hand that looked vaguely like a summoning contract. He laid it down and then made some lightning fast hand signs before the scroll changed in a tall, bi-pedal creature that seemed to be made of gently dancing fire. It's coal black eyes looked around and then it turned to look at it's summoner "How may I help you Moncris-sama?" It's voice was like a log popping and crackling in a bonfire but was just as gentle as a candle.

He pointed to Shibi and then the rest of them and said "This is only a sample, a preview if you will of what my power entails. This spirit is called Ignis and she is a Fire Elemental. I hold the Elemental contract and Ignis-chan here is the protector of it. Would you please explain to them about it and yourself?"

The elemental nodded and turned to Shibi who backed up a bit from the heat he felt coming from the spirit "My family and I are all made of a core element, not unlike your chakra. We are alive and intelligent thus we have been able to become one of the lesser known summons."

Danzo zoned out a bit as he thought of the many uses such odd but powerful creatures could have. As he only half listened to Ignis he glanced down at Naruto who was grinning like a fool '_Damn that brat. First, I lose my chance at having the power of the Kyuubi at my disposal and now this demon will get even more powerful with this Moncris person around. I have to have my Root look into this man's past and see if they can't find out anything useful against him…_'

Ignis was almost done and had shown off a few tricks with her flames "…and one of my sisters can do these same skills with ice. She can even make weapons that are as strong as steel. Our leader, or boss, is whoever holds the contract. This means that for now, Moncris-sama is the boss of our race and decides what we do and who we help. If he chose to help this young boy here and let him sign then that power would extend to Naruto-kun as well. Kind of like being an heir or prince."

After hearing it explained Shibi nodded and sat back down. One of the few civilian councilwomen shot up, one Meinu Haruno, and she had a smug look on her face as she exclaimed "Then I propose that we let a group of our children sign the contract. That way it will let us all have the ability to control-"

That was as far as she got as a small bolt of fire hit her part of the table and the black eyes of Ignis bored into her "We are not mindless beings that bend to the whims of humans, you bitch! No offense, Inuzuka-sama." Tsume just grinned in reply. "We follow Moncris-sama and his possible heirs because we trust him and would only ever consider listening to an heir if they had his trust."

Meinu gulped as she put out the small fire and sat back down slowly. Sarutobi sighed as he leaned back and spoke up again "Moncris-san, what do you think this council should do about you being in our village?"

Moncris just shrugged and pointed at the shinobi side of the council "Make me a ninja and if you all agree then I would also like to make my own clan since I am the only current member my family."

All of them were shocked at how blunt he was about it but it was Danzo who spoke first "And what family is that then?"

Moncris grinned like a certain blonde was known to do as he stated "My full name is Moncris Tamashi."

Silence returned and drew out as everyone absorbed the implications of that; well, the ninja did while the civilians just looked clueless.

Tsume let out a low whistle, Inoichi had eyes the size of plates, and most of the other Clan Heads on the shinobi council were just as shocked. The Soul clan or Tamashi were known for the ability to use special jutsu that let them grab a person's soul and do as they wanted with it. Some stories said they could make them do things like puppets or could make them turn on their allies in battle with only words.

Moncris just doubled over laughing as he looked at their faces. Danzo was shocked on the outside but was seething in his mind '_How?! I thought that clan was wiped out back during the Shodaime's time! And yet here is one more of them. This man must be killed as soon as possible but I must find out if he has any weaknesses first.'_

The Third sighed as he called for order and Moncris got his laughter under wraps but was still letting out little chuckles now and then "Alright. All those in favor of allowing Moncris-san to become a Konoha ninja at the rank of Chunin with a six month probation before a test to see if he has the skill to be a Jonin?" Almost all of the hands in the room went up, even Naruto's which made some of the Clan heads grin at the boy. "Motion passed. Here is your headband and you should be able to apply for a clan after we test you for Jonin. Is this acceptable?" He held out a leaf headband with a dark red cloth which Moncris tied around his forehead with a nod.

Naruto's stomach chose that time to let out a deep growl that made Tsume and Chouza fall over in laughter. Naruto blushed as he rubbed the back of his head and asked "Hey Hokage-jiji, can we go to Ichiraku's for some ramen now?" The old man smiled warmly and nodded as the blonde and his friend left the room.

He hoped that things would be alright for a little while longer but as everyone filed out he could have sworn one of the shadows in the corner of the room followed the duo out of the room.


	3. Ramen, clothing, and one very angry Soul

**A/N: **Here is the extra chapter I mentioned in my last Author's Note. This is to thank Dragonstorm545 for being my very first reviewer and taking time from his day to leave me his thoughts on my story. Please keep reading and I hope you have much luck on your own stories. Thanks!

Speaking  
**Bijuu/Demonic** **speaking**  
_Thoughts__  
_Jutsu/Magi Arts

Moncris and Naruto arrived at the ramen stand laughing like madmen at the many pranks they had planned to pull together on those idiots that had hurt Naruto in the past. As they entered Teuchi glanced at Moncris and studied the man as closely as he could while they sat on a pair of stools at the counter "So, Naruto-kun, who's your new friend? He seems very mysterious..."

The boy grinned as he told the old man about Moncris and how he found him as just a statue in some random cave but he turned out to be alive and wanted to help teach him how to be a ninja. The ramen chef glanced sharply behind him where his daughter Ayame was cutting up vegetables for the ramen he was now making for the pair "Sounds like you had quite the adventure Naruto-kun. So, the usual for you and what will you be having Moncris-san?"

Moncris grinned just as wide as his little friend and said confidently "Give me just as much as you would Naruto, okay Teuchi-san? I am paying for both of us as well so this is to be a little celebration of me joining the ranks of Konoha as a Chunin and finding a new friend that I can be of help to."

Hearing the man order as much as Naruto made the old ramen chef almost drop his jaw in shock but he was able to restrain himself. Ayame on the other hand dropped her knife after she heard him "Are you serious?! You guys alone might just eat all of the ramen we have..."

Moncris turned to Naruto whose eyes were gleaming as he looked up at his new friend. Together they turned and spoke the same thing "Let's do it!"

All the other customers seemed to have stopped eating as they heard the noise and got up to watch what was going on. As the crowd gather Moncris looked around and stood up to address them all "Hello Konoha! I have an offer for you all. Me and young Naruto-kun here are planning to eat all of the ramen that Ichiraku-san has left. Who here bets us we can't do it and who bets we can?" Ryo notes appeared in the hands of everyone as they all bet on the two options. Mostly on the two not being able to do it.

Moncris did a few hand signs and suddenly there was a large elemental made of stone next to him that had an empty area on it's belly "Yes, Moncris-sama?" Moncris handed over the neatly stacked pile of Ryo and told the summons to hold onto it. The Elemental opened it's belly and set all of the Ryo into it for safe keeping.

As the man sat back down, Naruto was getting ready for the big contest. He already thought his friend was cool but this just made him even cooler in his book.

They both pulled out a pair of chopsticks as Iruka Umino came up to the counter with the stopwatch he used at the academy to time the students "Ready? The contest ends if both of you pass out, vomit, or give up. Set. Begin!"

The next second time seemed to slow down as everyone there watched in awe as the bowls began to pile up at record speeds. Iruka kept glancing back and forth between the clock and the two mowing through bowl after bowl of ramen. Naruto had now eaten over 30 bowls to himself and the mysterious man was ahead by 10 bowls; all in under ten minutes!

As the stacks got taller and taller, Ayame was washing them at a furious pace just to help move things along. As the thirty minute mark rolled around, Naruto began to slow down but Moncris ate as fast as he did when they began. Now the total was Moncris: 75 and Naruto: 60.

Teuchi was sweating like crazy as he did his best to keep up with the two juggernauts. He wiped away the sheen of perspiration on his forehead quickly before getting back to work.

Finally, it seemed like Naruto had eaten enough and stopped. He grinned as he watched Moncris go through it like a pro, munching bowl after bowl of the delicious food. Moncris now had well over one hundred bowls stacked neatly before him and he was still going. Iruka glanced down and saw that only forty-five minutes had passed. His head shot up as he watched the man pack it away and wondered, like many in the crowd, where he kept it all?

Teuchi looked up with a grim smile and shouted for all to hear "These are the last twenty bowls we have back here! Let's hear those cheers for the dauntless Moncris-san!" Most of those who had been smart and bet on the two winning after seeing Naruto was part of it let out wild applause for their current champ. They were betting on some steep odds and if he pulled through then they would make almost five times their bet.

As the ramen chef handed over the final bowl, he grinned at the man and held up his hands to show he was all done and out of food to cook. The crowd cheered for Moncris who calmly and slowly ate the last bowl like it wasn't a contest, just a lunch with a friend. They all laughed at his antics as he nodded and gulped down the broth before setting the bowl down and turned to grin at his young blonde friend "Watch closely Naruto-kun."

He turned around in his chair and leaned back a bit, making everyone lean forward to see what he was going to do. Suddenly, he shot his upper body forward and let out a massive, deep, roaring belch that seemed to create a burst of wind that knocked some of the people in the crowd against the wall as they were bombarded by the force of it. After a minute he leaned back and took a deep breath to steady himself again "That is how you end an eating contest."

Silence...

...

...

Then Naruto, Iruka, the Ichiraku's, and surprisingly the Third who had shown up secretly to watch the contest all erupted into loud laughter. It seemed to be contagious as even most of the crowd laughed so hard they were clutching there sides in pain as a few tears leaked from their eyes. Sarutobi got his emotions under control first and went up to congratulate the pair.

As he got close though, one of the Chunin in the crowd, angry at losing his hard earned money to the Demon tried to sneak up and stab Naruto with a kunai. Thankfully, Iruka and Moncris grabbed the idiot and tied him up with some spare ninja wire. The fool struggled and was able to aim a quick side kick at Naruto but the boy reacted almost instantly by grabbing his pendant and shouting "Reflect!"

As soon as the blow connected, it was like watching a rubber band in action. The Chunin's leg bounced off with such force that he was shot outside and into the dirt road. He skid along the ground before hitting the wall of the building opposite Ichiraku's leaving a small spiderweb of cracks where his body struck it. Some of the people in the crowd went over to check on him to see that the force had knocked him unconscious A Jonin let out a low whistle as he looked back to see the small glow around Naruto fade before the boy began to breath a little harder.

Sarutobi had a thoughtful look on his face as he looked between Naruto and the Chunin and then nodded as he went over and discreetly handed Moncris a simple piece of paper. The man nodded back and acted like normal. He looked at his summons who gave him the stack of cash. He got the tally from Iruka and divided it up among everyone evenly. He got up and motioned for Naruto to follow him. The blonde jumped up after saying thanks to old man Teuchi and his Ayam-nee-chan.

They ended up back in the market district but this time they headed for a ninja tool shop. As they entered, a bell rang over the door and a young girl came up to them. She was around Naruto's height and had on a pair of dark blue ninja pants that reached just below her knees. She wore a dark red Chinese style top that had a small flock of birds flying along the back. Her deep brown hair was done up in two round buns and she had gentle brown eyes. "Welcome to the Hisaragi shop. I'm Tenten. Can I help you find anything?" She asked warmly as she looked at Naruto who was trying to stay behind Moncris for fear that they would kick him out or worse.

The cloaked man sighed as he pulled the boy front and center and smiled at the girl "We are here to get some new clothes and some ninja tools for Naruto-kun here. He is going to be entering the academy soon and I figured it would be smart to get some things ahead of time. So, any suggestions Tenten-chan?"

The girl blushed at the honorific but nodded as she took Naruto's hand and led him over to the racks of clothing. Meanwhile, Moncris went over to the counter where the man he assumed to be Tenten's father was busy polishing a nodachi. Moncris looked the blade over and smiled "A very finely crafted blade. I can tell that you put a lot of yourself into each strike of the hammer and pump of the bellows. Might I see your forge? I have a few things I wish to discuss with you personally."

The man seemed to size the new Chunin up before seeing something in his eyes that made something click in the blacksmith's mind. He mouthed the word 'Tamashi?' to which Moncris nodded evenly. The man, Kisho Hisaragi, nodded and led Moncris into the forge where he then went over to a shelf and lifted a heavy wooden box down to the floor. He opened it gently and turned it to Moncris to be sure. the cloaked man smiled warmly as he saw all of the various metals and tools he had left with this shop when he first appeared here.

Reaching in he pulled out a lump of a silver-ish metal that had a few black parts that seemed to suck in the light. Kisho shook his head and looked like he had something to say but decided against it before Moncris spoke up "Speak your mind, Kisho-san." The blacksmith sighed and ran an ash covered hand through his black hair "How is it that you have not aged a day in over 5 years? I swear you might even be a little younger then the last time you came here."

Moncris just laughed a little and stated "Yeah, well, being a statue will do that to you." Kisho's jaw dropped when he heard that and he asked in disbelief "A statue?!" Moncris turned away from the table where he had set up some of the metals and tools and nodded firmly "One of my clan's old Magi Arts or Magiatsu. It allows the user to solidify the vessel for their own soul, basically their own body, to go into a state of stasis for a period of time. It requires that the user set up a perimeter seal nearby to keep chakra flowing into your body to help keep you alive during that time and to keep the seal active. If someone gets past the seal then the Magiatsu wears off and the user wakes up. The benefits are that as long as the seal is active, it will recycle your chakra and keep your body stuck in time, in a manner of speaking. It is really kind of complcated but once you get used to it it can be a good way to get some much needed rest after a long battle or something."

After finishing his explanation he took a deep breath and then turned back to his metals. He formed another weird hand sign and spoke some words under his breath. The metals all turned into liquid and then mixed together into one solid lump about as big as his head. He handed it off to Kisho with a grin "I have a custom order for you. I would like you to use this metal and make me twin katanas. One with a crimson colored grip and the other with an ice or arctic blue grip. The rest of the detail I will leave up to you. Can you make them for me by next week?"

The blacksmith nodded firmly and set the metal down near his worktable so he would remember to work on that specific order soon. They then went out to find Naruto done up and some very nice new clothes. He had switched out the shirt for a light chainmail muscle shirt and a white jacket with burnt orange along the hem and end of the sleeves and bottom of the jacket. His shorts were now replaced with a pair of strong black ninja pants that had wraps around the ankles and he also sported full kunai holsters on each thigh and a shuriken pouch on his right hip. A pair of storage scrolls were on his left hip. He seemed to be shifting left and right as he looked at himself, turning when he heard the adults approach.

Moncris nodded appreciatively "I can see it now. Once you get the headband and start learning from me, people will start calling you Naruto: The Mystic Fox. How does that sound to you?" The blonde grinned widely and hugged his friend around the waist as he thanked him for helping him become a strong ninja. The cloaked man smiled kindly down at the boy and hugged him back before they went over to the counter and Moncris payed for all of the stuff they bought and some spare outfits too for when Naruto grew some more.

As they were heading home, Moncris stopped for a moment to glare at a tree. As he stood there he heard a noise and then a Root ANBU dropped like a rock out of the tree, the stone Elemental from before floating down after him. Moncris walked over and checked out what the foolish ninja had on him, taking anything useful. Last he took the mask and was about to leave when the ninja woke up and tried to hit him with a lift kick to the temple. Moncris jumped back and then aimed his arm at the Root shinobi "Magiatsu: Moeru Baransu!" The next instant the ninja was engulfed in soul searing, literally, green flames. After they died down a glowing yin-yang could be seen on the forehead of the shinobi. He didn't move and Moncris knew he was too injured to do anything.

He called Naruto over and put one hand on both the boy and the barely living Root ANBU before using his teleporting jutsu. Oh, there was going to be hell to pay for one very old war hawk if he had anything to say about it...


	4. No pain, No gain

**A/N:** Hey everyone. Sorry for not updating in so long. I have been really distracted lately what with thinking about going into Job Corps, not to mention a multitude of other things but I swear I did not forget about this story. Just a very large case of writers block. I am also going to attempt to get onto a better update schedule seeing as you all like this story so much. Okay! Now here is the next chapter! Oh, and I am going to skip the whole 'whose talking with what font' list since after the past three chapters you guys probably have it down by now. On with the story!

**Chapter 4**

Naruto, Moncris, and the crispy Root agent appeared in the council chambers just as they were holding a meeting about what to do with the last Uchiha. Sarutobi leaned forward with a frown as he eyed the currently fuming man in front of them '_Uh-oh. Something has Moncris-san very upset and that means more paperwork and more headaches for me.'_ He rubbed the bridge of his nose with a heavy sigh.

Tsume had her nose covered as did her Ninken partner Kuromaru "What the hell did you do to this guy?! He smells like burning garbage!" Moncris only glanced at her and pointed out the mark on the agent's forehead "One of my personal jutsu. That mark attacks his soul and body, giving off an aura based on his past deeds. And I'd say that the name you used fits just right with this one's soul, Tsume-san."

He kicked the fool and made him groan a bit in pain. Everyone there could tell he barely clung to life and more than likely it was only thanks to Moncris he was even alive at all.

Danzo was livid as he stood shouted at Moncris "What makes you think you can get away with harming another shinobi of Konoha just after becoming a Chunin?! We should have you locked away for this! ANBU!" Four ANBU dropped down and surrounded Moncris as he simply watched them with uncaring eyes.

Suddenly, the air became thick with KI as Moncris just continued to stare down the ANBU who were now struggling to get near him. The captain glanced back to see that no one else was able to feel it but them, judging by all of their wide, fearful eyes. He dropped to all fours and panted as he tried to breathe under the immense pressure on his body.

One by one they all dropped to the ground, knocked unconscious by the power of his presence alone.

Even Danzo was surprised by this show of power and gripped his cane tightly and loosened the hidden sword inside in case this man, no this monster, tried anything on him. Hiruzen sighed deeply as he looked at all of the other council members and then decided to break the silence "Moncris-dono, could you please refrain from showing too much of your power seeing as it is obvious that you can back up your words?"

Moncris snorted but nodded to his old friend as he stopped giving off KI and then sighed a bit in frustration.

Naruto tilted his head a little from the odd exchange but then shrugged before pulling out a marker and scribbling some doodles on the knocked out ANBU's masks, making them look very silly and earning a few chuckles from a few clan heads. Satisfied with his latest prank he went and stood quietly next to his friend again.

"Now that that's sorted out, I can explain how this 'shinobi of Konoha' came to be attacked by myself and brought before you all today." Moncris stated with a grave look on his features as he locked eyes with the Third and the aged Hokage saw the hidden message in his eyes. He nodded for him to continue then leaned back a bit.

Moncris summoned another Elemental, this one made of wood and looked to be a young woman mixed with a tree, who wrapped the Root nin in some vines to keep him from trying anything as her Master addressed the council with a sigh "This man has been following me and young Naruto-kun since I was last here. More than likely he was sent to keep an eye on us by a less than favorable source. I have a few suspicions on who here may have given the order but right now my evidence would only be considered circumstantial at best and speculation at worst. My prime suspects are the three Hokage's advisers since they seemed less than pleased by my decision to care for and train the wrongly labeled 'Demon Brat'."

Homura, Danzo, and Koharu all grew outraged at this believed insult to them and were about to shout at the Tamashi for it but stopped when they caught sight of the glare he sent their way.

Not one to let such a slight to his honor slide though, Danzo did stand up and point an accusing finger at Moncris "OH? And what about you, Tamashi-san?! For all we know, this could be some elaborate set up to frame us and try to smear our names to make you and that brat feel better." Moncris just stayed silent as he stared deep into Danzo's lone exposed eye, unnerving the old war hawk slightly.

Hiruzen could tell something was going to happen if he didn't stop it now so he leaned forward and let some of his own KI flow over them all as he shouted for all to hear "That is enough! I highly doubt that Moncris-dono would waste our time with something as trivial as a fake attempt to ruin your reputations, Danzo. Now, sit down and be silent so that he may finish before we give any kind of verdict."

Danzo grit his teeth so loud you would swear you could hear his jaw creaking from the amount of anger he was biting back as he slowly sat back down.

Moncris nodded to Hiruzen and then began to fill them in again "I had chosen to leave him be seeing as he had done no harm to either myself or young Naruto but just as we were leaving Ichiraku's he was waiting in a tree along the road to ambush us. One of my earlier summoned Elementals by the name of Boulder was able to knock him out of said tree before I unleashed my wrath upon him. In all honesty, he is lucky I used my least damaging Magiatsu on him otherwise you'd have nothing but ashes to sift through."

This bit of info caused many to frown in worry over just how strong he really was and many of the clan heads were already wondering how to get on and stay on his good side. Tsume grinned to herself as she thought '_Note to self: Set up a meeting between him and Hana. I just know she would love to meet such a strong Alpha Male.__'_

Naruto yawned a bit and stretched as his silver leaf pendant jingled on it's chain around his neck. He was getting kind of bored just standing here while Moncris addressed all of them. The fact that he did not seem the least bit upset about almost getting ambushed and attacked spoke volumes for the council members about what his life must have been like.

The Third's face grew a few years older as he thought back to all of the times he had to rush his surrogate grandson to the hospital for broken bones, cuts, and many more injuries that no five year old should ever have to have happen to them. He looked over at Moncris to see his old friend seemingly lost in thought about something causing a slight chill to creep up his spine '_Moncris, just what are you planning?_'

Said Magi was thinking over how soon he wanted to start on his young friend's training and realized he would have to start sooner rather than later seeing as Danzo would continue to send his lackeys after them both to find out anything he could about the Tamashi and use it against him in the future.

He turned to the Hokage and bowed low "I am afraid we must cut this short, Hokage-dono, as I have decided to begin teaching Naruto what I know tonight so that he has a good base for when he begins in the academy. I hope those of you with children who will be attending this coming year will do me one small favor and see to it that they try to at least get to know Naruto before judging him. I would very much hate to have to reprimand a child for acting like a fool."

And with that said, he laid his hand gently on the young blonde and they vanished into thin air.

Hiashi Hyuga had his Byakugan active as it happened and was shocked to find that it used no chakra to preform and therefore was not the Shunshin. This made him very interested in Moncris and just what he might teach Naruto. Unlike most would think, Hiashi knew all about Naruto's true parentage and had been good friends with the boy's father and mother before their unfortunate deaths five years ago. He had tried on a few occasions to adopt him but the Hyuga Elders would always rise against him, saying that the 'Demon Brat' did not deserve any kindness from their clan lest he taint it with his unworthy presence. '_Damn snobs. I wish there was a way around them somehow so that I could help him in some way. I owe that much to Minato and Kushina at least._'

**Back in Naruto's apartment**

As they reappeared in the living room, Moncris had Naruto sit down on the couch as he took a chair and breathed deep a few times to calm himself after dealing with Danzo and the advisers. He then turned his hazel hues on the blonde boy and smiled softly as he could see the joy lighting up his young friends face "Are we really going to start training tonight, Moncris-san? What are you going to teach me? A cool new jutsu or maybe how to summon those Elementals?!" His mood was very contagious as Moncris burst out laughing from how hyper and focused the boy could be sometimes.

He held up a hand to make Naruto stop for a moment as he cleared his throat "First off we need to unlock your hidden power and I am not only talking about chakra either."

This confused the blonde a bit as he tilted his head at his friend "Ano...is there something other than chakra inside me?"

His innocent question made Moncris chuckle as he nodded and then held out his hand, making a cantaloupe sized ball of fire form in a few seconds and hover above his open palm, not even flinching from what should have been nearing scorching heat on his skin which showed absolutely no burns at all. Naruto's eyes widened to the size of beach balls as he looked at this amazing power with awe as the man in front of him put his other hand above the ball of flames and pushed it down, making it grow smaller and more compact until it was the size of a golf ball.

He then twisted his hands in opposite directions and it turned in a small jewel like orb that landed in his palm. He did this a few more times until there was one of ice, lightning, water, earth, and even wind all sitting on the table in front of him. Moncris smiled warmly and waved his hand over them "Look hard at each one and then pick which one feels right in your hand. One that you think matches who you are deep down. If you think more than one matches you then go ahead and choose more but try to limit it to three at the most."

Naruto nodded slowly as he reached out and picked up the wind ball. He turned it this way and that as he watched the tiny storm of wind dance around inside it's tiny prison. He seemed drawn to this one, almost like he knew it was a good match for him. He set that one in his lap and then reached for the water ball next. The gently sloshing amount of water in it made him feel more at ease and calm the longer he looked into it. He decided that if he was going to be Hokage one day then he would need to learn how to be calm and think things through so he chose that one too. Then he seemed to stop as his hand hovered over both the fire and lightning balls. He was at a loss on which one fit him better until Moncris reached out and handed him, to his surprise, the ice and lightning balls instead.

Seeing the confused look on Naruto's face Moncris just grinned "Water conducts energy and lets it move very fast to something. So, if you were to combine your wind and water elements you would get ice and since ice is frozen water then it should be able to hold in power from the lightning and give your foes a very nasty jolt when they get hit with it." This caused a huge foxy grin to spread across the blonde's face as he thought about how strong he would be if he trained hard using his elements like that.

Moncris picked up the remaining balls and then made them vanish by closing his hand around them. He had his young friend set his chosen elements on the table and stand up.

Moncris moved the table out of the way and the chair too "Naruto, I need you to listen very carefully to me alright? Deep inside each and every person there is something powerful. Even more powerful and more ancient than chakra. My clan called it SoulFyre. It is a ball of flaming energy that is basically your soul in it's true form. When you die, normally that is it and you can never come back but if there is a strong enough Magi, namely me, nearby then with your SoulFyre unlocked you could be brought back to life. This can be really hard to do though since it uses a TON of my energy to preform and if I messed up then I would have to wait until the next day to try again which can be very dangerous since in it's pure form SoulFyre is like a beacon for those who can sense powers like chakra. So, try not to die alright?"

The youth was stunned, no, dumbstruck would be a better term. Being able to be brought back even from death without any price except the massive amount of energy it would take? Just how strong was his new friends clan back then if they had powers and jutsu like this?!

He nodded and Moncris continued "Now to unlock that power in you there are only three ways." He held up a finger each time he listed one off as he spoke "First; I could use a special Magi Art on you that would knock you out for the rest of the night and might cause you some pain but you would wake up tomorrow feeling like you could train forever from all of the energy. Second; I have an Elemental friend who can do something similar but it would take longer since he has to show you how to do it through meditation. Finally, there is a very long way to do this and that is to train to your limit and keep going no matter how hard it might be to keep going, even if you drop from exhaustion you would need to just get right back up and keep fighting me until you can feel the power growing inside you as you try your hardest to beat me. Choose one and then we will go from there."

Naruto bowed his head as he thought it over. He knew that if he picked the first choice it could hurt him in the end but he wanted so badly to show his new sensei that he was tough enough to take anything he could throw his way so he raised his head and there was fire in his cerulean eyes as he spoke with determination "I want you to do it with that Magi Art thing. I can take it if it means I will be able to get stronger from it. I'll do whatever I have to to become the strongest Hokage ever!"

Moncris smiled gently at him and ruffled his spiky hair as he nodded and then took a step back. He bent his legs as if taking a stance and then began to charge his power into his hand. It was so strong that Naruto could see sparks of purple and white lightning crackle around his friend's palm. Then it moved to his first two fingers and Moncris used them to begin tracing something in the air between them.

"First point of Fire, grant the strength and courage to face any foe." He moved his hand diagonally up to the right and then said "Second point of Earth, grant the will and endurance to withstand any blow." Next he slid his fingers across to the other side "Third point of Air, grant wisdom and knowledge that one might learn all the secrets this world may hold." Then he pointed to a spot below the second point "Fourth point of Water, grant the gentle passion of the endless ocean and the bitter rage of the arctic cold." Finally he pointed to a spot just a little above them both "Final point of Spirit, unleash the power hidden within every being and let it flow forever more from within this SoulFyre!" He made his hand into a claw and the now reveal pentagram like star appeared in the back of his hand as each fingertip glowed with a small flame and he then jabbed them into Naruto's chest right over his heart "Magiāto: Sōru mezame!"

Naruto was hit so hard he was knocked backwards onto the couch and after a few moments of pain he was out like a light. Moncris breathed a slight sigh of relief as he lifted the young boy gently into his arms and carried him into his room where he tucked him in.

Afterwards, he went out and sat on the couch after moving the furniture back into place. He looked down at the orbs still on the table and chuckled as he had known from the start that Naruto would be an interesting student. He pulled out a set of wooden training swords from a storage scroll and attached one orb to each sword, making it glow with the color of each element.

He nodded, satisfied for now, and then stretched out on the couch before he dozed off. The real training had only just begun...


End file.
